| CPC G01N 9/26 (2013.01) | 17 Claims |
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1. A system comprising:
a U-bend configured to flow a multiphase fluid, the multiphase fluid comprising a gas phase, an aqueous phase, and an oil phase, the U-bend comprising:
a first conduit;
a second conduit; and
a connecting conduit connecting the first conduit to the second conduit, wherein each of the first conduit and the second conduit have substantially the same cross-sectional flow area for the multiphase fluid flowing through the U-bend, and the multiphase fluid flowing through the U-bend flows into the first conduit, through the connecting conduit, and out of the second conduit;
a first differential pressure sensor coupled to the first conduit, wherein the first differential pressure sensor is configured to measure a first differential pressure of the multiphase fluid flowing through the U-bend across a specified differential pressure height along the first conduit;
a second differential pressure sensor coupled to the second conduit, wherein the second differential pressure sensor is configured to measure a second differential pressure of the multiphase fluid flowing through the U-bend across the specified differential pressure height along the second conduit; and
a computer, comprising:
a processor communicatively coupled to the first differential pressure sensor and to the second differential pressure sensor; and
a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the processor, the programming instructions instructing the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first differential pressure signal from the first differential pressure sensor, the first differential pressure signal representing the first differential pressure of the multiphase fluid;
receiving a second differential pressure signal from the second differential pressure sensor, the second differential pressure signal representing the second differential pressure of the multiphase fluid; and
determining a mixture density of the multiphase fluid at least based on the specified differential pressure height and a difference between the first differential pressure and the second differential pressure of the multiphase fluid; and
determining a total mass flow rate of the multiphase fluid by:
mT=Cd×ε×K×√2×ρ×(ΔP−kf×ΔPf),
wherein mT the total mass flow rate of the multiphase fluid, Cd is a discharge coefficient, ε is an expansion factor, K is a fixed geometry factor related to a cross-sectional flow area of the U-bend, ρ is the mixture density of the multiphase fluid, ΔP is the first differential pressure or the second differential pressure of the multiphase fluid, kf is a geometry-based correction factor for friction, and ΔPf is frictional pressure loss.
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